Gratitude Friday

Counting my blessings again. Here we go:

1. So grateful for this girl.

I seriously could not have made it through the last several months without my frister. She keeps me sane. She understands my wackiness. She gets my sense of humor. She lets me call her at least 14 times a day. She'll text me with random funny stuff. She loves my bug. She reminds me of the good things in life. She helps deal with the bad. She encourages me to keep moving forward. She knows what oldy foldy means. Such a doll. I just love her.

2. Riley seems to be getting a schedule down. This is huge for us. So thankful that we seem to be getting somewhere with this. YEAH!

3. So grateful for my job. It's been an absolutely crazy week at work, and I've also had daycare issues this week. Tons of stuff to do, but still I am so grateful to have a job that challenges me mentally, allows me to work with some of the most intelligent people on earth, and gives me a lot of satisfaction. Plus, it's flexible so I can accomodate life as a single mother, and still pay the bills. My take on it is that if I'm spending time away from Riley, it better be for a reason that meets two criteria: 1) it should benefit her in some way and 2) it should be something I enjoy and am good at. I truly believe that the work I do will improve healthcare in the future, directly benefiting Riley, and I very much enjoy it and I know I am good at it. My criteria are met; I'm happy. Lucky me.

4. I live in an amazing city with so much to do that is family centered. I've been trying to make sure Riley and I take advantage of all the opportunities to get out and explore SLC. Lately, I've been taking her to the library. She loves the people, the glass elevator and was absolutely mesmerized by the butterfly mobiles. We've also been going swimming at the Fairmont community center, whcih Riley LOVES! I bought a family pass to Hogle Zoo so I can take her there, or she can go with Madi. I am looking forward to summer and the farmer's market, the street festivals, and the outdoor concerts. I love this part of my life and I know Riley enjoys getting out of the house and being in different atmospheres. So much fun!

5. Finally, I'm very thankful to have my writer's group. This provides me with an emotional outlet, a creative release and feedback that is both thought provoking and constructive. I have had a lot of formal writing training, through college, graduate school and my profession, but it's a completely different experience to write for it's own reward. I can see how much I've grown as a writer as a result of this experience and I'm very grateful for it.

Short list this week, but, as always, i'm certainly not short on good things in my life.